Lambourn Turns Epsom Derby Into O'Brien Procession

Tactical Masterstroke Delivers Breakthrough For Lordan

For Lordan, this represented a breakthrough moment after eight previous attempts at Derby glory. The Cork-born jockey, who has been part of the Ballydoyle operation for eight years, finally claimed his maiden victory in the race aboard what many considered O'Brien's third string behind stablemates Delacroix and The Lion In Winter.

"I felt he was underrated because he races behind the bridle and does his own thing," said Lordan, who had the look of someone who could not believe their luck. "The others were flashier and travelled better in their races, but when you look for Lambourn, he comes."

The jockey's tactical awareness proved crucial as he allowed Lambourn to dictate terms from the front. "I knew I'd gone a good gallop but his ears were pricked, and I knew he had plenty left," Lordan reflected. "He's a horse we always felt would stay. I just thought that anybody who would get to me would have to stay well, and it would be tough for them."

Perfect Preparation Proves Decisive Factor

O'Brien's meticulous preparation of Lambourn highlighted the trainer's almost supernatural understanding of his horses. The decision to run the colt in the Chester Vase represented a tactical masterstroke, with O'Brien identifying specific traits that needed addressing.

"We always believe Chester sharpens them up and puts the edge on them," he explained. "It's always very safe ground. What it does is give them very quick feet and they come out of it very well."

Lordan emphasised how this attention to detail sets O'Brien apart from his contemporaries. "It's his attention to detail and how he prepares," he said. "It sounds like a simple thing, Lambourn going to Chester, but he could have sent a couple of horses and yet he was the one. It has worked."

The Chester Vase victory had been crucial in sharpening up a colt O'Brien had observed showing certain laziness in his work. This trial, largely dismissed by experts and punters alike, had only been won once since Shergar by a subsequent Derby winner when Ruler Of The World succeeded for O'Brien.

Favourites Fail To Fire On Biggest Stage

The race will be remembered as much for the failures of the market leaders as for Lambourn's triumph. The late withdrawal of Ruling Court on rain-softened ground robbed the contest of the Two Thousand Guineas winner and ended hopes of Britain's first Triple Crown success since Nijinsky.

Charlie Appleby explained the decision to withdraw his charge, whose rider William Buick had also been beaten on Desert Flower in the Oaks. "There was rain overnight on opened ground. We arrived here with an open mind, that we'd let William Buick ride in the first race. He felt it was riding genuine good to soft ground. Collectively the other jockeys were on the same page."

Among those who did take their chance, the leading fancies disappointed spectacularly. Delacroix, who had beaten Lambourn at Leopardstown and was Ryan Moore's chosen mount, was out of contention by halfway and finished ninth. The previously unbeaten French challenger Midak could only manage tenth, while The Lion In Winter, talked about all winter as the likely winner, finished a tame 14th.

The remaining finishers included Tornado Alert, Green Storm, Nightime Dancer, Sea Scout, Nightwalker, Rogue Impact, Al Wasl Storm and Tuscan Hills, with Pride Of Arras, the Dante winner, caught out by his inexperience and only beating Damysus, who had finished second to him at York.

O'Brien's Incredible Dominance Continues Unabated

This latest triumph extended O'Brien's remarkable record in the Classic, with the Ballydoyle trainer having now won either the Derby or Oaks every year since 2011. His preparation methods, including a replica Tattenham Corner at his County Tipperary base and training predominantly around left-handed bends, continue paying dividends.

"The whole breed is assessed by the Derby and the Oaks and it's the ultimate and it has to be like that," said O'Brien, who had 11 wins in the fillies' Classic dating back to 1998.

Despite his unprecedented success, O'Brien remained characteristically modest in victory. "I'm only a small part of a very big team; everybody puts in so much, all I do is observe it every day," he said, trying desperately to remember the names of just about everyone inside his Ballydoyle operation.

The trainer's formula of sharing credit when things go well while accepting responsibility when they don't has inspired both hard work and copious loyalty among his team. This approach, combined with his instinctive understanding of horses and access to top-class bloodstock, has created an operation that shows no signs of slowing down.

Among O'Brien's ten previous Derby winners were two long shots ridden by jockeys who were never heard of again, Padraig Beggy and Emmet McNamara, who is now retrained as an accountant at Coolmore. Lordan, however, has been a key part of the Ballydoyle furniture since being absorbed into the operation following David Wachman's retirement from training, having previously ridden for Tommy Stack and Fozzie Stack. He had been narrowly beaten on Whirl in the Oaks and had previously enjoyed big-racing success with Iridessa at the Breeders' Cup for Joseph O'Brien.

The victory capped an incredible weekend for O'Brien, who had also saddled Minnie Hauk to win the Oaks under Moore. When asked about future plans for Lambourn, O'Brien indicated the Irish Derby at the Curragh would be the likely next target, where the colt would probably be reunited with Moore.

For Lordan, this represented the pinnacle of his career following a serious fall in the Irish Derby two years previously that kept him out for eight months. "When you are growing up, the Derby is always the one," he said. "This tops anything else."
The victory confirmed Lambourn as a worthy Derby winner despite concerns about the strength of this year's 3YO crop. Time will tell how this renewal compares historically, but for O'Brien and Lordan, this was a moment to savour after years of preparation and perseverance finally paid off in the most spectacular fashion.